Junior Murvin - Police And Thieves (Deluxe Edition) (2009)

This is one of those albums that winds up on just about every list of essential reggae recordings, and with good reason. Like Max Romeo's War Ina Babylon (which is equally essential, and can be considered a companion to this one), it was recorded under the auspices of Lee "Scratch" Perry at his legendary Black Ark studio, and is saturated with Perry's trademark dense, murky sound. Junior Murvin sings in a fierce and beautiful falsetto, a voice which lends a unique weight to such dark masterpieces as "Lucifer," "Roots Train," and the title track (which was later recorded by the Clash). Perry surrounds Murvin's voice with great washes of echo and reverb and keeps the tempos slow and intense, giving the album an almost Biblical feel. Ignore the goofy album art on some issues -- there is nothing lighthearted about any of these songs, nor is there a single wrong note or misplaced effect. There may be eight or ten perfect reggae albums in existence, and this is certainly one of them.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Junior Murvin - Roots Train (Album Version) (3:45)
1.02 - Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves (Single Version) (4:05)
1.03 - Junior Murvin - Solomon (Extended Version) (3:57)
1.04 - Junior Murvin - Rescue Jah Children (Extended Version) (4:47)
1.05 - Junior Murvin - Tedious (4:42)
1.06 - Junior Murvin - False Teachin' (Album Version) (4:07)
1.07 - Junior Murvin - Easy Task (Album Version) (3:50)
1.08 - Junior Murvin - Lucifer (Album Version) (3:15)
1.09 - Junior Murvin - Workin' In The Cornfield (Album Version) (3:47)
1.10 - Junior Murvin - I Was Appointed (Album Version) (3:51)
1.11 - The Upsetters - Version Train (aka Roots Train Dub) (3:27)
1.12 - The Upsetters - Predictions Dub (4:12)
1.13 - The Upsetters - Grumblin' Dub (3:24)
1.14 - The Upsetters - Tedious Dub (4:43)
1.15 - The Upsetters - Teachers Dub (False Teachin' Dub) (3:19)
1.16 - Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves Radio Advert #1 (0:35)
2.17 - Junior Murvin - Childhood Sweetheart (Album Version) (2:55)
2.18 - Junior Murvin - Memories (12" Version) (8:45)
2.19 - Junior Murvin - Rasta Get Ready (Album Version) (3:13)
2.20 - Junior Murvin - Closer Together (6:16)
2.21 - Junior Murvin - Roots Train (Special Disco Mix) (9:02)
2.22 - Junior Murvin - False Teachin' (Alternate take) (3:13)
2.23 - Junior Murvin - I Was Appointed (4:21)
2.24 - Junior Murvin - Cross Over (3:29)
2.25 - The Upsetters - Cross Over (Dub) (3:26)
2.26 - Junior Murvin - Bad Weed (4:03)
2.27 - Jah Lion - Soldier And Police War (4:08)
2.28 - The Upsetters - No Justice (2:33)
2.29 - Glen DaCosta - Magic Touch (4:03)
2.30 - Earl Chinna Smith - Philistines On The Land (3:50)
2.31 - The Upsetters - Bingo Kid (3:40)
2.32 - Junior Murvin - Bad Weed (Disco Mix) (8:18)
2.33 - Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves Radio Advert #2 (0:36)